This Day In History : April 14

2003 United States

The Human Genome Project is Completed

On April 14, 2003, scientists announced the completion of the Human Genome Project. This landmark project successfully mapped the entire human genome, revealing the sequences of DNA that make up human genes. The achievement revolutionized the field of genetics and opened new frontiers in medical research and biotechnology.

Also on This Day in History April 14

Discover what happened on April 14 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, April 14
  • 1927 Alan G. MacDiarmid

    New Zealand-American chemist who shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (with Alan Heeger and Hideki Shirakawa) “for the discovery and development of conductive polymers.”

  • 1886 Edward C. Tolman

    American psychologist who developed a system of psychology known as purposive, or molar, behaviourism, which attempts to explore the entire action of the total organism.

  • 1629 Christiaan Huygens

    Dutch physicist and astronomer who founded the wave theory of light, discovered the true shape of the rings of Saturn, and contributed to the science of dynamics - the study of the action of forces on bodies.

  • 1857 Victor Horsley

    English physiologist and neurosurgeon who was a pioneer in surgery on the brain and spinal cord.

  • 1527 Abraham Ortelius

    Belgian cartographer and geographer who created the first true modern atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (“Theatre of the World”, published 20 May 1570).

Deaths on This Day, April 14
  • 1962 Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya

    Indian civil engineer and statesman who in his early career designed, and established, an ingenious waterworks for the municipality of Sukkur (1894).

  • 1947 Herbert Spencer Jennings

    American zoologist who was one of the first scientists to study the behaviour of individual microorganisms and to experiment with genetic variations in single-celled organisms.

  • 1935 Emmy Noether

    German mathematician best known for her contributions to abstract algebra, in particular, her study of chain conditions on ideals of rings.

  • 1924 Louis Sullivan

    American architect who is identified with the aesthetics and innovation of early skyscraper design.

  • 1882 Henri Giffard

    Baptiste Henry Jacques Giffard was a French engineer who built the first successful airship.

1611

Telescope

In 1611, the word “telescope” was first used in public by Prince Federico Cesi at a banquet held by the pioneer scientific society, the Academy of Linceans (or Lynxes, of which he was a founder).
1981

Space shuttle Columbia

In 1981, the first test flight of America's first operational space shuttle, the Columbia, ended successfully as the orbiter landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
1932

Atom Split Using Proton Beam on Lithium Target

On April 14, 1932, physicists John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton successfully split the atom by directing a proton beam at a lithium target. This groundbreaking experiment, conducted at the Cavendish Laboratory, marked the first artificial nuclear reaction. Their work laid the foundation for future advancements in nuclear physics.
2021

Coinbase Debuts on NYSE

On April 14, 2021, Coinbase became the first major cryptocurrency company to trade shares on the New York Stock Exchange. The company's direct listing marked a significant moment for the cryptocurrency industry, reflecting growing mainstream acceptance. Coinbase's debut saw its stock soar, highlighting investor interest in digital currencies.
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